Bacteria attached to an oral surface can cause local and systemic pathology. For example, periodontitis and caries are caused by oral surface bacterial biofilm formation, and are among the most common oral diseases worldwide. Seeding of oral cavity bacteria into the bloodstream can occur during dental procedures and result in serious infections such as endocarditis and prosthetic joint infection.
A need exists for oral care products having an improved anti-bacterial effect to prevent and/or decrease the incidence of local and systemic pathology arising from bacterial attachment to an oral surface. The compositions and methods of the present invention address this need.